Understanding Pain

Here is a short 5-minute video that was designed to aid the public in better understanding current pain science:

Also, for the more scientific minded, this recent podcast with pain scientist Lorimer Moseley discusses a number of important concepts in pain research and recovering from chronic pain. He discusses a helpful tagline: “Rethink, reengage, recover…”

Lorimer also encourages a focus on these three practical questions?

How do I know if my pain system is being over protective?

What can I do to retrain my pain system to be less protective?

Am I safe to move?

In addition, I would encourage exploring the following:

Can I move away from “Why is this happening?” towards “What can I learn from this experience?”

What do I need to feel safe in relation to my pain experience, as well as all other areas of my life experience?

How can I feel more nurtured and more empowered at the same time, in relationship to what is happening?

What would it be like to view pain as universal instead of personal?

How can I lessen aversion, avoidance, or resistance to what is happening?

Does the teaching that suffering comes equally from an attachment to feeling good as it does from our aversion/resistance to discomfort, help me understand my relationship to pain?

And finally, can I see pain as a catalyst that:

a) inspires me to look for answers

b) is a seed for compassion

c) increases my interest in not doing things that sow the seeds of suffering – in other words: helps me want to avoid patterns, beliefs, choices, etc. that contribute to it?